


The Next One

by jezebel



Category: Queer as Folk (UK)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-20 14:43:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21283406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jezebel/pseuds/jezebel
Kudos: 2





	The Next One

*** 1 - The First One ***

Vince was only seventeen and had already been working for over a year when he met his first proper boyfriend. He left school with the grades to go to college but Hazel didn't have the money and there were no grants or bursaries for A Level's back then. Vince went for a job at Dixon's, and another at Marks and Sparks but Harlo's were hiring and he needed the money quickly so he didn't question the fifty hour week that they expected him to work.

It was here in the store that would become his life that he met Simon Harris.

He wasn't much to look at, an older man in his thirties who had seen better days, but Vince was young and inexperienced and Simon offered him a door to a world he had yet to explore.

I went out to the street most weekends with Vince in tow but Simon gave Vince the chance to be in a relationship. Hazel was accepting of both of us but still found it hard that her little boy slept around with a different man each time he went out. I think that Vince wanted to get into a relationship with Simon so that he could settle down and pretend that this was no different to the straight people that he had grown up around. That he too could be in a "normal" relationship.

They say that you never forget your first love, but I don't think that Vince was in love with Simon. It was easy enough to make him forget.

\---

"Vince, I can't believe your standing me up for that old man." I complained as Vince tried to decide which shirt went best with his faded stonewash jeans.

"Stuart, he's my boyfriend." Vince replied. "We're going on a date. If this goes well he might even introduce me to his parents."

"Don't see what all the fuss is about. Hazel met him that first night you went out."

"That's because unlike him I still live at home."

"Vince, you can't really fancy him though, I mean...he's ugly."

"Stuart, we can't all pull models every weekend. He's nice, he's clean and he has taught me a lot."

"Like how to be old and boring."

"Stuart," Vince said with a sigh, "I know that you don't want a boyfriend but can't you try to at least understand what this means to me?"

"Yeah, it means you're getting old."

Vince laughed.

"Maybe I'm just growing up."

"Who wants to grow up, that means growing old. I'm not going to ever grow up. I'll be forty and still shagging my way through Canal Street. I always hoped that you would be there with me. You're fantastic Vince, you don't have to settle for the first man to come along. You don't even really like him."

"I do." Vince said, but the smile on his face waned as he thought about it a little too much. "He's nice."

"You can do much better than nice." I answered, shifting closer to him and wrapping my arms around his waist, turning him towards the mirror. "Look at yourself, you're young and fresh - that's currency out there on the street. You can have anyone that you want."

Vince didn't look too long at his reflection. He lacked self esteem even back then. I took his chin in my hand and raised it so that he had to look.

"You're gorgeous, Vince, don't ever forget that."

"I suppose I could call him, tell him that I need a bit of space, I mean, it's not like we're married or anything." Vince replied. "Maybe I'll meet someone else tonight."

I grinned to myself. I knew that Simon was not the bloke for Vince and that there was something better out there, I knew a few men that Vince fancied and could guarantee that he would do better tonight. I was going to make sure of it.

*** 2 - Second Time Around ***

Darren Griffiths was my fault. Vince never would have met him if I hadn't invited him out to a corporate function in my first week at Thrive. I was 21, straight out of University and more than a little bit cocky. With my First Degree in Advertising and Marketing I had been head hunted by Thrive and they were hosting a party in my honour. Of course I wanted my best friend there to witness it all but what I didn't expect was for him to fall for my mentor.

Darren was 25 and already an Accounts Director with a list of eminent clients as long as his arm. He had personally brought me into the firm and thought that I would be grateful enough to fuck him. When I didn't he turned to Vince to get back at me.

Vince, who hadn't had a shag in six months, was overwhelmed that someone with Darren's looks and money would come after him, so much so that he was blinded by the fact that Darren was after me instead of him.

It was not as easy as it had been with Simon to break them up but I managed to do it.

\---

Vince entered the flat on a Sunday morning, rattling the keys in the lock in the hope that it would wake Stuart. Vince had felt sorry for his best friend who had worked late the last two weekends in a row. Vince had the morning to himself because Darren had to work too and he thought that it might be nice to surprise Stuart with a nice breakfast.

He didn't know that it would be him that got the surprise.

Vince was halfway through brewing the coffee and making bacon and eggs when he saw the bedroom door open.

"Morning." Vince called, expecting it to be Stuart that came out of the bedroom door.

"Vince?" Darren asked, looking down at his body and belatedly realising that there was no way that he could explain what he was doing coming out of Stuart's room in only his boxers. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought that was my line." Vince replied as he stared at his lover. "Stuart is my best friend."

"We were working late..." Darren began.

Vince's mouth fell open as he realised that he was being taken for a fool.

"Daz?"

"Vince is here for breakfast." Darren said as I walked out of the bedroom to face him. I wasn't as modest as Darren and was naked, besides, it was my flat and I could do what I wanted in there.

"Hiya." I said to Vince, ignoring the fact that he was staring at me as if I had just broken his heart. I knew that in fact it was Darren that had done this. Vince might not forget this but he would forgive me. "Sorry you had to see this. Should never have left my keys at your mothers."

"You mean..."

"Tell him." I prompted Darren, who was fighting hard to try and think of some credible reason that he had been in my bed.

"Tell me what?" Vince asked, looking at his boyfriend.

"I...We..." Darren seemed at a loss for words so I filled in the blanks.

"You remember Colin Everett?" I asked Vince, knowing that he would. "At least he was honest about why he wanted to get in your pants."

"You didn't want me?" Vince asked Darren.

"No..." Darren replied instinctively. "I mean, it wasn't like that."

"Bastard thought that just because he gave me a job I would fuck him, when I didn't he turned to the next best thing." I responded. "Of course, then he started back on me, wanted us to work late last night..."

"So you fucked him?" Vince accused.

"Vince, he got me drunk and then practically dragged me into the bedroom." I responded, I didn't add that he had been talking about Vince all night and that was what had made me so horny I had to fuck him. Vince was my friend and he didn't need to know about the fact that he turned me on.

"Get the fuck out." Vince spat at Darren. "And stay away from us."

"Wait, Vince, I..."

"He said, Fuck Off." I responded, going back into the bedroom and throwing his clothes at him.

"And I want you to resign from Thrive by Monday." Vince added.

"What?"

"Or I'll personally tell Burton how you managed to land the McCaffery account."

"That's blackmail." Darren replied, sounding half scared and half in awe at Vince.

"I know, usually that's your area of expertise. I guess I learned something other than faking an orgasm with you."

Darren pulled on the rest of his clothes in record time and left.

"I can't believe he did that." Vince said after he was gone.

"I'm sorry." I replied, and I meant it. I didn't want Vince to get hurt but when I was involved he always ended up unhappy.

"He didn't even like me." Vince said, his voice wavering as the strength he had used against Darren waned.

I went to him, not caring that I was stark naked and wrapped my arms around him. Darren was gone and I was left to pick up the pieces just as I always was.

True to his word Darren left Thrive and neither Vince nor I saw him again.

Of course, that was how I planned it, just Vince and I against the world again, at least until the next one.

*** 3 - Third Time Unlucky ***

Dominic Baxter was a Bastard of the worst kind. He came into Vince's life at a low point, just after Vince had broken up with Darren and was still not 100% sure if he could trust me again.

Dominic was a cocky young wanker who was riding high on the fact that he was good looking and gave great head. If he hadn't been such a twat he might have been a rival to me for the crown of King of Canal Street. The truth was that he made me look like a saint and that was saying something.

Vince fell for him almost immediately and Dom knew that he could get Vince to do anything for him. There was a story doing the pub circuit that year of Vince blowing Dom in the middle of the dance floor at Babylon. I never knew if the story was true because I was in the back room with a popular blonde couple at the time but it was enough to make me worry about Dominic's hold over Vince. Vince didn't enjoy exhibitionism, had never even done a threesome because he was worried someone would be looking at him, and now he was having sex in public. It just didn't sound like my Vince.

I was already working on a plan to get rid of Dominic when Vince came to my flat in tears.

\---

"Vince?" I asked, opening the door and finding him leaning on the wall outside.

Ever since the day with Darren Vince had refused to enter my flat without knocking. He had handed me back the keys that he once kept at Hazel's and wouldn't let me give him a new set. He didn't think that he had a right to walk in on me, and part of me thinks he never wanted to see me like that again.

"I'm sorry, I just...I couldn't go back to Hazel." Vince said, looking up and giving me a chance to see his swollen eye and split lip.

"Jesus." I swore as I saw the usually beautiful face of my best friend swollen and bleeding. "Basher?"

Vince shook his head and took a step forward. He looked dead on his feet and I took pity on him, holding out a hand and leading him straight to the bathroom so that I could clean his face.

"Tell me it wasn't Dominic?" I said, knowing that Vince would put up with some things in his life but that an abusive boyfriend was not one of them.

Vince snorted.

"I wish." He replied.

"Then who?" I asked, as I pulled out the antiseptic wash and started to clean his cuts.

"Dealers." Vince replied, his face screwed up at the pain as I touched the cut on his cheek.

"I thought you always used Mickey Blake." I said, knowing that Mickey was many things but violent was not one of them. Mickey may sell you drugs but he was an old fashioned criminal who cared for the community that he dealt in.

"Mickey wouldn't sell to Dom. Said he was an addict. Dom found someone else that would sell to him." Vince said. "Apparently he owed them a lot."

"So, why come after you?"

"Dom told them that they could take it out in trade."

"Bastard." I spat, throwing down the cloth I had been using to clean Vince's face. "I'll fucking kill him."

"No need." Vince said, sitting on the edge of the bath as he tried not to collapse. "He already killed himself."

The tears started to fall then, silently at first and then Vince gave into the gentle sobs.

I got the rest of the story later from a friend on the street. Dominic had been using more and more, taking money from Vince and selling himself on the side to make ends meet. Vince was nothing more than another way for him to get money.

Vince had gotten beaten by one of Dominic's clients that thought he was for sale too. A few Canal Street regulars managed to put him right on that and made damn certain that he wouldn't bother Vince again.

It took Vince a week to recover from his physical injuries but the mental scars would take longer. Part of me was glad that Vince was off relationships, but if I could have saved him the pain of it I would.

I swore to myself after Dominic that I wouldn't interfere in Vince's love life again. The pain Vince had felt was a result of what I had done with Darren and I wasn't going to put Vince through that again.

For a few years I managed it. None of Vince's relationships lasted longer than a few days or weeks anyway because he didn't want to get hurt again.

It was only after Phil died and he met Cameron that I realised that this was the next one.

*** 4 - Cameron ***

I don't know what it was about Cameron that grated but I knew that he wasn't the one for Vince. Still, he made Vince happy and that was all that mattered. I wanted to make sure that Vince had a chance with him so I set up the stunt for his birthday. I hadn't meant it to go that far but I wanted to let him have a chance with Cameron. If he stayed around me I would ruin it, I always did, so if I wasn't in his life then maybe he would have a chance.

Of course then I had a run in with his bloody mother.

Hazel had known, for years she's understood me, I should have known better than to try this with her around.

"That's one hell of a push you gave him. Can't do anything on the quiet, can you? Has to be a spectacle. Couldn't you just have told him to sod off?"

"Like he'd listen. Hazel, he'd follow me round forever." I said, and I knew that while he was following me there was no chance that he'd be happy.

"Yeah."

"Cameron's alright. He's good for him." I knew that Cameron wasn't going to be the love of Vince's life but at least he made him happy.

"Cameron won't last." Hazel said knowingly.

"Might do." I said, but she knew that neither of us believed it.

"He won't still, leaves room for the next Cameron."

Hazel carried on, joking about Bernie's bucket of piss or something but my mind was still focused on Vince. I needed to know that he would be okay.

"�have you said anything?"

"None of my business. He's trying to make sense of it, poor sod. But if you want it to make sense, you've got to see Vince as important. And he's never going to manage that, is he?"

She grabs her box, all of the stuff that Vince has left here, and I know that this is it.

Funny, I thought that there would be more emotion but I should have known that Hazel knew me too well for any overdramatic display.

"See you kid, look after yourself."

"I always do." I respond.

She leaves then, placing Vince's keys on the table.

I don't respond. We both know that I'm lying. I don't look after myself, Vince looks after me and I wonder how I'll manage without him.

Still, I needed to give him that push, he would have followed me around forever and without it he would never have a chance with Cameron, or the next one.

Maybe the next one will be better for him.

*** 5 - The Next One ***

I should have known that one of us would cave.

He called me first. I knew that he would. But it was me that invited him to lunch. It was the olive branch that I knew was needed. I should have let him go but I knew I didn't have the strength and when he told me that Cameron told him he loved him, I knew it was over.

The minute that he told him he loved him it was all over because Vince couldn't believe it.

That day at lunch was the first day I got him to admit it.

"Me though? How can I be the best shag he's ever had, he's Australian. And it's not like I've ever done anything."

I knew that I should tell him the truth, being brutally honest is my new approach.

"You've done nothing, Vince. You go to work, you go for a drink, you sit and watch cheap science fiction. Small and Tiny world. What's so impressive about that? What's there to love?"

I knew I was being cruel but I really thought he needed this push.

'Another push and then maybe he'll see that he's worth it. Maybe this will make him see that Vince is important.' I thought.

"yeah." Vince said quietly, brokenly.

"It was good enough for me."

I reached for my coat then, I'd never done well with emotional displays and for a moment Vince looked as if he's going to let me go.

This is it.

"Wait." Vince said, looking up at me. "What do you mean?"

I could still walk away from this, head off into my big wide world and leave Vince here to stay with Cameron. Cameron won't last though, Hazel knew it was the truth when she said it, and maybe I should make sure that the next one is the last one.

I turned to him and sat down again, resting my coat over my lap and staring down at the water he's barely touched.

"I mean it was good enough for me." I said. "And I do. I guess I always have."

"what?" Vince asked, his voice still small, as if he is scared to speak up in case it scares me away.

"I love you, Vince." I responded. "I always have."

"I love you too." He said, his voice clearly not meaning it the way I had. He was giving me a way out and part of me wanted to take it but I remember Dominic. I didn't want Vince to get hurt again.

"No, I mean I'm in love with you."

"What?"

"I can name all the Doctor's Vince, in chronological order, and in the order that you prefer them."

"Poor sod." Vince said, his eyes shining with mirth but still not sure that he could believe what I was telling him.

"Anyway, I'd better go." I said suddenly, not wanting to drag this out. "Places to go, people to see. I'll be at Babylon tonight if you fancy it."

Vince looked at me and I knew he understood what I said. If he wants to follow this up with me, if he wants to give it a go, if he wants me to be the next one, he'll meet me at Babylon.

Later that night he met me by the wall like he always does. We danced at Babylon till two in the morning, grinning like idiots and not caring who is watching.

And later, after the drinking and dancing are done, we went back to mine.

I kissed him against the wall in the lobby before taking up to bed.

Maybe this time Vince's boyfriend will last.

***

END


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